1979 Golden Age

"I haven't been making movies for a long time, and I don't have much experience. My film theories and techniques are really not as good as those of my predecessors, so I just don't do what I do best."

Chen Qi set his own tone and said: "But since we are talking about earning foreign exchange through exports, it is equivalent to selling things and buying things. Everyone is familiar with this. Let me talk about it from this perspective."

“If we want them to buy movies, we need to study the psychology of people buying things.

Take the United States as an example. I went to Hong Kong and Berlin this time and learned a lot about American movies. Their industry is very developed and they have a rich variety of genre films. They have filmed almost all genres. Last year's "Star Wars" was a hit in North America. It grossed more than $200 million at the box office.

Why would such a country spend 3 million to buy "Tai Chi"?

The reason is very simple, because "Tai Chi" is a Chinese kung fu movie, which is not available in the United States. From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, and then to Li Lianlian, the United States will never be able to produce a martial arts star like this.

The label of Chinese Kung Fu is unique, it is the only one in the world, so I think we should make more martial arts films. "

In front of several big leaders, he didn't want to make long speeches and wanted to be concise and quick. But after hearing this, the big leaders didn't comment and just said: "Keep talking!"

“We have something they don’t have, that’s the first category.

The second category is naturally something everyone has.

For example, murder, romance, comedy, tragedy, they all have them, and they are more developed than us, so how do we shoot them? It would be too difficult to surpass simply based on the quality of the work. I think there is a shortcut.

Find the differences among the same!

Chinese films have reappeared on the world stage. They are unfamiliar to Western society. I think they have a voyeuristic mentality and hope to see the true face of China's history, traditional culture and contemporary life...

For example, in movies about ordinary citizens, our ordinary citizens are definitely different from their ordinary citizens, in terms of living environment, clothing, eating habits, family values, social ethics, etc. If we want to film these things, if we are lucky, we can even win an award.

Winning awards overseas is also very important. Winning awards can help sell your work at a higher price, and it can also inspire people.

But it’s a pity, alas, we didn’t take good pictures..."

Chen Qi talked about what to shoot above, and how to shoot next, and continued: "First of all, we have to let people understand it. If people can't understand it, how can we buy it?

One of my deepest experiences in Berlin is that foreigners feel that Chinese films are too theatrical, have a poor sense of reality, and have too many political phrases. They feel that they are being educated.

The way our director expressed it was too straightforward, just like giving a lecture to children, directly saying that you must love the motherland and love this land... Of course this is right, but can the children understand?

Another way is to take him to see the great rivers and mountains of the motherland, let him experience the beautiful scenery for himself, and let him read history and know the sufferings the Chinese nation has suffered.

It might be better to be more subtle and tactful, hide political words in the plot, and use stories to tell the truth instead of directly stating the lines.

Secondly, our movie is too slow! "

"too slow?"

“The plot develops slowly, there are too many plots, and it’s dull and boring to watch. If your own audience doesn’t like watching it, how can it make foreign audiences like it?

For example, "Tai Chi" starts with a martial arts competition, and then Yang Yuqian is taught by an expert, and goes to Henan to study, but is rejected. However, he meets Chen Shaomei by chance, is taught Tai Chi, and is discovered by Chen Zhengying...

Every time he goes a little further, he is bound to encounter setbacks and then solve them. If he goes a little further, he will encounter new troubles... This is fast-paced, highly entertaining, and full of ups and downs, and the audience likes to watch it. "

Compared with usual times, Chen Qi was very conservative, not spitting, but full of practical information. Finally, he said: "In short, I personally think that if you want to earn foreign exchange through exports, you can take two routes. One is to make entertainment films based on martial arts films." , one is to win prizes.

Oh, by the way, don’t be timid when negotiating with foreigners. Some of our films are really good. It would be a shame to sell them cheaply! "

In fact, in the 1980s, some knowledgeable people proposed the idea of ​​earning foreign exchange from movies. However, from top to bottom, the entire industry chain was not strong enough, and it was never mentioned again later.

Nowadays, "Tai Chi" is ground-breaking, making feasibility a reality. The top leaders listened very carefully and asked: "You said that our domestic directors' films are slow, is there any way to make them faster?"

"I can't do anything about others, but I can do something about my own films."

"What's your next idea?"

"That's what I just said, make two types of films, one to make money, and one to win awards... I mean, if you still let me make it." Chen Qi was shy and scratched his head.   “Is there any way to distribute it to Taiwan?”

The leader who had been silent until now suddenly asked.

Chen Qi was stunned and said: "A pure mainland film is impossible, but according to Uncle Fu Qi, I think it can be achieved.

We find directors and actors who can enter Taiwan. After filming, we remove the producer, release it in Taiwan first, and then add the producer when we come back. Or you can secretly invest in a company and let them film it.

But when it is released to Taiwan, there must be no political words or phrases in it, otherwise it will not be reviewed. "

"The little comrade's mind is quite flexible."

The leader smiled.

Mr. Liao also understood and said: "The reason is very simple. This has nothing to do with domestic movies. It specializes in export-generated films, just like those products for foreign trade."

"It's like this..."

The big leader nodded, flicked his cigarette ashes, and suddenly started chatting with Mr. Liao about home affairs.

Chen Qi had no such experience. Wang Yang understood that there were other things to discuss, so he quickly pulled him to say goodbye, but the leaders of the Ministry of Culture stayed.

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"We should recruit talents regardless of their background. I think this kid is good! Moreover, since the reform is just beginning, we can try out anything that is beneficial to the country. He is just one person, and the scale is small. If he fails, it will not affect anything."

"I agree with this. Xiao Chen has proved that this approach is feasible, so let him try it." Liao Gong said.

"We hope to ease relations with Taiwan. Movies are a good channel for communication. We can use Hong Kong and overseas film festivals as a bridge to get in touch with filmmakers there." The leader said.

It seems exaggerated that three leaders are discussing movies here, but it is normal in this year. In the early days of reform and opening up, Nian Guangjiu was mentioned many times by the top leaders for selling silly melon seeds. What's more, movies are so important?

After a brief discussion, the leader said to Liao Gong: "This situation is special and there is no precedent. Can you coordinate with various units and work out a plan?"

"Okay!"

The meeting ended here.

The leaders of the Ministry of Culture, who had not dared to say anything, walked out quickly, secretly shocked. Special matters should be handled specially. Things are going to change!

…………

Chen Qi finally returned to the loyal Beijing Film Studio.

He took a shower first, and then fell asleep. On the day he came back from Berlin, he was directly called to the Ministry of Culture. He worked for several days and was exhausted physically and mentally.

And at this time.

The leaders of China Youth Daily repeatedly confirmed the authenticity of the data and decided to let Yu Jiajia publish the article. Yu Jiajia wrote with a big pen: "Tai Chi" won the West Berlin, conquered the big-nosed foreigners, and earned a sky-high price of 4.8 million US dollars!"

Boom!

Just drop a bomb, or the kind that kills but does not bury.

Ordinary people will at most say it's awesome, but people in the industry will be green with envy! While Chen Qi was sleeping soundly, countless people rushed to the capital city in the hope of seeing the Holy Face!!

(No more...)